The authors of The Bell Curve have been accused of everything from racism to poor research. However, the book could have a tremendous impact on the role of intelligence in social science and social policy. It is especially relevant for adult education programs geared to the less fortunate, and it is appropriate to discuss the merits of the book…

This paper is the first chapter of a book and is divided into six sections. The first section discusses race taxonomy, the Negro American's origins from Africa, and the origin of race differences. The second section investigates the genetic aspects of race differences in intellectual performance, and includes a lengthy introductory discussion on…

Few books have generated as much controversy as the recently published "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life." The tremendous polarization on the issue of the relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ) to race and social class, reinforced by the book, and the potential this book has for undermining…

Neutral summary of "The Bell Curve" (Herrnstein and Murray) by a former student of Herrnstein. Focuses on the emergence of a cognitive elite in the United States; relationships between IQ and poverty, educational attainment, unemployment, divorce, illegitimacy, welfare dependency, parenting competence, criminal behaviors, and voting;…

While debates over the heritability of IQ and the potential for culture bias in measuring instruments have generated much research and public comment, it is also possible to investigate the significance of interracial differences in mean IQ by ignoring both the foregoing issues and instead examining the social psychology of the test situation…

"Psychological Assessment in Education and Social Class," a paper presented at the University of Missouri conference on the "Legal and Educational Consequences of the Intelligence Testing Movement: Handicapped and Minority Group Children," is provided. The historical origins of the scheme of norm-referenced testing and the evidence questioning its…

Urges educators and citizens to ignore the hype surrounding "The Bell Curve" and to grasp the ethnocentrism (or racism) that underlies eugenicist arguments. Both Carnoy and Ladson-Billings offer hope to those supporting educational equity and the appreciation of diversity. (SLD)

Swedish longitudinal studies of twins support Scarr-Salapatek's explanation of nature-nurture influences on intelligence. This model predicts more genetic variance in test results for advantaged than disadvantaged groups. Jensen's work, however, suggests equal amounts of variance among different social classes. (Author/CP)

This article summarizes the thesis of "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life," noting its rejection of educational intervention to solve social problems correlated to low IQ. It critiques the book for its failure to consider important research findings, and addresses the race issue, urging that the book's…